


a glimpse of normalcy

by Lightning515



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Cafe Leblanc (Persona 5), Canon Compliant, Fluff, M/M, No Persona 5: The Royal Spoilers, Pre-Shuake, takes place after saving futaba
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:40:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26438086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lightning515/pseuds/Lightning515
Summary: After bumping into Akechi on the way home, Akira invites him over to have some homemade curry.
Relationships: Akechi Goro & Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro & Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24





	a glimpse of normalcy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [WaiiKitsune](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaiiKitsune/gifts).



> This alludes scenes from the anime as well, but nothing really significant. It takes place sometime mid/end of August.  
> Thanks to [ kilala2tail](http://archiveofourown.org/users/kilala2tail/pseuds/kilala2tail) for reading this over for me :3

_“What would you say if I asked you to become my assistant?”_

The question was on Akira’s mind as he walked through the streets of Shibuya, heading back to LeBlanc after a successful study session at the local diner. It has been over a month since Akechi offered him the position, and he had declined at the time. There was the possibility that Akechi had offered in order to out him as a member of the Phantom Thieves. Morgana had agreed; for all he encouraged their friendship, getting too close would put them and their missions at risk.

If it was up to him though, there was something else he wanted _more_ than becoming Akechi’s assistant.

But for now, it was time to head back to LeBlanc and whip up a late dinner. Sojiro had texted him once school was out, letting him know that he was closing early and asking if Akira wanted anything for dinner. Futaba had recently recovered and the coffee shop owner wanted to spend more time at home with her. Akira had assured him that he would be fine. If anything, he could grab something to eat on the way home. Sojiro relented, but not before letting Akira know that there were curry ingredients in the fridge, in case he wanted to make something instead.

He passed through the station gate with ease and was walking down the steps of the train station when he noticed a familiar high-school detective buying a can of coffee from a nearby vending machine. “Working late today?” Akira asked once he was in earshot, coming to a stop just a few feet away. 

Akechi startled slightly as he pulled his coffee out of the vending machine. “Oh, it’s you Kurusu. For a second I thought you were another fan asking for an autograph. I had too many of those instances today. But yes. The investigation took a lot longer than planned,” he sheepishly replied.

“Want me to lend you my glasses again? It worked pretty well last time,” Akira asked.

“I will pass, thank you though. Getting home shouldn’t be too much of an issue; I just have to figure out dinner.”

Akira blinked, recalling how Akechi lived alone and most likely didn’t have anything have anything waiting for him his fridge. The sun was beginning to set outside and Akira could _feel_ the exhaustion radiating off of the teen detective.

He wouldn’t be surprised if Akechi’s schedule was packed tomorrow as well, since the latter was balancing both work and school on top of the more frequent television appearances.

Ignoring Morgana nudging at him insistently through the backpack, Akira took off his glasses and offered them again. “How about you come with me back to LeBlanc? I’ll make you something.”

Akechi paused. “Isn’t Boss’s cafe still open? I wouldn’t want to intrude on his business.”

Akira waves his hand. “Nah, he closed up early today. We have the place to ourselves.”

“Are…you sure? I wouldn’t want to bother you.”

“Akechi. I _want_ to spend time with you.” The younger teen smiled softly as Akechi’s eyes widened slightly in shock. “It’s been a while since we spent time together, and I need to whip up some dinner for myself anyways. Making an extra serving is no trouble at all.” Akira could practically _hear_ Morgana groaning through the bag. “Does some house curry sound alright to you?”

Akechi hesitated for a moment longer, then relented, slipping the coffee into his briefcase before taking the offered glasses. “You never fail to surprise me. Curry sounds lovely. I have to admit I have never tried it despite frequenting LeBlanc so many times.”

Akira grinned. “I won’t disappoint.”

* * *

“Let me drop my bag off upstairs first, go ahead and make yourself comfortable,” Akira said as he made his way up the stairs. The instant they were clear in the loft, Morgana jumped out of Akira’s school bag and onto the nearby desk.

“Why did you invite our _enemy_ here? You know he’s been suspicious of us lately!” Morgana hissed, tail whipping back and forth irritatedly.

“He needed dinner?” he said simply, shrugging.

Morgana groaned. “Right. And this has nothing to do with the crush you have for him.” Nimbly leaping off the desk, Morgana jumped onto the bed and cracked open the window, pointedly ignoring Akira’s carefully blank stare. “I’ll be staying with Futaba if you need me then. Make sure not to let anything slip.”

Akira smirked. “Do you trust me so little?”

“Makoto _did_ find evidence about us pretty easily,” Morgana reminded.

“That was all Ryuji, not me,” Akira deadpanned. Morgana shook his head, not wanting to argue any longer, and jumped out the window, blending with the darkness outside.

Akira sighed, mentally noting to once again tell Ryuji to lower his volume when they were at their hideouts, and went back down the stairs. Akechi was sitting at his usual spot at the bar, his briefcase resting in the chair next to him. In front of him was a folder full of notes, spread out all over the countertop. He seemed to be quite absorbed in his work, not breaking his concentration as Akira slipped into the kitchen to start boiling some water and grab ingredients from the fridge.

The cafe was silent except for the sound of Akechi shuffling through papers and Akira moving around the kitchen, each teen focused on the task in front of them. The curry was bubbling and rice was almost done as Akira glanced back over at Akechi, reminded once again of the detective’s previous words. “Another case?”

“Yes, well. There’s never a shortage of them really. I’ve almost finished this one, just double checking the facts before I get an arrest warrant tomorrow. Should be cleaned up quite easily,” Akechi replied easily as he jotted something else down.

“Sounds to me that you don’t need an assistant. You are doing just fine on your own, after all.”

Akechi paused in his writing. “That may be true, but it never hurts to get a different perspective. When you are limited to your own thinking, you can miss even the smallest clue that will reveal the truth to you. Without your help last time, arresting the culprit would have taken a lot more effort. My offer to you still stands.” He put his pen down as he finally noticed the smell of curry filling the cafe, stomach growling at the prospect of food.

“Hungry, are we?” Akechi glanced up self-consciously, startling at the sight of Akira leaning against the counter, head resting in one hand as he stared at the upside down notes. 

Akechi coughed in response, shooing Akira away. “W-well, I haven’t had much of a chance to eat due to my schedule today. Go back to cooking, you shouldn’t be reading these. Confidential.”

Akira chuckled as he walked away to check on the food. “Alright, alright. Curry will be done soon, so you should start cleaning up.”

Akechi nodded and began gathering his papers, managing to finish slipping them back into his briefcase as a plate of warm curry and a glass of cold water was placed in front of him. He smiled in thanks as Akira slid into the seat next to him with his own plate of curry. Not wanting to wait another second, Akechi scooped a large spoonful and was amazed by the explosion of flavor in his mouth. The combination of spices was delicious and he was going for a second scoop when his mouth began to burn, first like a mild flame, then a burning in his mouth that grew into a raging fire. His ears were ringing and he could barely make out Akira as he chugged the whole glass of water. “Sorry, that must be my plate. I made the curry more mild since I wasn’t sure about your preferences, but I definitely prefer mine on the spicier side.”

Akechi slammed the glass on the counter, his face still slightly red as he turned to face the culprit. “I almost feel like you did that on purpose,” he panted, trying to look angry but failing miserably.

“You have no evidence,” Akira shrugged as he swapped the plates of curry, then proceeded to eat a large spoonful of the (in Akechi’s opinion) spicy abomination, smirking as he swallowed. 

Akechi griminced then turned back to his own _new_ plate of curry, now hesitant to take another bite. He scooped a more modest sized bite this time and found this one had the same mouthwatering flavor, but with a more subtle spiciness that complimented the dish well without overwhelming his tastebuds. The potatoes and carrots were soft but not too mushy, while the beef chunks were nice and tender. The curry itself was thick and hearty, going perfectly with the rice.

“Is that better?” Akira asked, watching Akechi intently.

“It’s…really good. How did you learn how to make this?” He stared incredulously at the plate in front of him. Trying different foods was something like a hobby of his, but he never really cared much for the taste of it. Being asked what his favorite food in interviews used to be stressful until he decided to just pick one and stick to it for consistency. It was easier than trying to come up with an answer each time because he just didn’t have a favorite.

But this…this was different. 

“Sojiro showed me. Been helping out at the cafe during the busier evenings and I just picked it up.” Akira stood as a kettle started whistling, walking back behind the counter. “He also taught me how to brew a coffee blend that goes really well with it, but it’s a bit late for caffeine. Want some frozen chocolate instead?”

Akechi hesitated slightly before relenting. “Sure, why not.”

“...You know, I could teach you how to cook, if you wanted.” 

Akechi looked up from his food at Akira’s words, the latter pointedly not making eye contact as he stirred some melting chocolate. “We can work around your schedule; you are busier after all. I’m free most evenings and if it’s a quieter day, Sojiro will be more willing to close up early. Curry is actually very simple, but I don’t think I can show you this specific recipe since it technically doesn’t belong to me…” he trailed off. “It was just a suggestion, you don’t have to accept it or anything—”

“I would…really appreciate that actually.”

Akira froze, the bowl of melted chocolate in one hand as he slowly turned to face Akechi. “Really?” he asked incredulously, eyes wide.

“It would be a useful skill to learn; I just never had the time to learn it myself. My schedule is lighter starting next week, I could text you when I am free?” Akira nodded vigorously in response, beaming, before turning back to grab the blender while Akechi continued eating the food in front of him. 

He was halfway through his plate of curry when Akira placed a cup in front of him, a small dollop of whipped cream on top. “You should try a sip now, before the whipped cream mixes with the drink too much,” Akira advised, walking around the counter back to his seat with his own cup. Akechi picked up the cup, intrigued. Carefully, he lifted the cup up and took a small sip, pleasantly surprised by the mild sweetness of cream with the slightly bitter aftertaste of dark chocolate. It was refreshing, especially for a warm summer evening like tonight. 

Akechi turned to face Akira, intending to compliment the drink. They made eye contact, and suddenly Akira was leaning heavily on the countertop, head in his arms as he shook uncontrollably. “K-Kurusu? Is everything ok?” Akechi asked, reaching a hand out in concern.

“Y-you…you have a…whipped cream mustache…!” Akira managed to get out between his laughter. Akechi instantly spun around, grabbing the closest napkin and wiping his mouth. The younger teen wheezed, trying to regain his composure as the older deliberately ignored him and went back to eating.

Once Akira stopped laughing, he turned to Akechi sheepishly. “...You have to admit...that’s not a normal look for the Detective Prince,” Akira said, unsure how to defuse the awkward tension.

“...I suppose I will have to be grateful that your other friends weren’t around to see it,” Akechi sighed, relenting. Akira let out a sigh of relief.

They both continued eating, with some small talk scattered here and there. After finishing another plate of seconds, Akira brought both of their plates and cups to the sink to be washed later. “You up for a game? Or another time?” he asked, gesturing to the chess board by one of the booths.

“Why not? Let’s see if shogi helped you improve further,” Akechi teased as he slid into a booth, Akira sliding into the one across from him.

The younger teen smirked, pushing up his glasses. “Shogi isn’t the only game I been practicing.” He picked up a white pawn and moved it forward. “Your move.”

“Oh? What else have you been practicing?” Akechi asked, picking up a pawn and moving it forward as well.

“Pool. Darts. ‘Gun About’. A few others as well,” Akira listed as he stared thoughtfully at the board.

“...Is it just coincidence, or are those all games that I won when we played together?”

Akira smirked. “Why don’t you tell me, Detective-san?” Grabbing a bishop, he flipped it over a few times before placing it down delicately on a spot close to the edge of the board. “After all, I think you are in ‘check’.”

Akechi’s smirk turned predatory. 

“Game on.”

The chess game continued, pieces exchanged left and right as tensions rose. Akira’s queen. Akechi’s knights. A few pawns. Rooks and bishops. Nearly an hour passed. Akechi still had around half of his pieces left while Akira was left with only a rook, knight, and handful of pawns.

Then, with a small flourish, Akechi moved his own king forward and ended the game with a checkmate. He sat back with his arms crossed, satisfied. “I’m not going to lose to some _cheap tricks_ , Kurusu. You should know better than to try those on me.”

“It was worth trying. Who knows, you could have slipped up,” Akira replied, shrugging good-naturedly. “Good game though, really had me cornered there for a while.” He stood and walked back behind the counter. A quick glance at the clock reminded him of the time. “Sorry, didn’t mean to keep you over so late.”

“It’s no trouble at all; I’m the one that chose to stay for a game. And you did improve; it took me a lot longer to checkmate than I thought it would.” Akechi took the pieces and reset the chessboard, before walking over to his briefcase and making sure he had all of his belongings.

He was in the middle of checking his phone notifications when Akira called out to him. “Do you have a ride home? The trains are still running but I can call you a taxi instead. There has been a lot going on in the news lately, and I’d feel better if you had a ride.”

“Thank you, but you don’t need to worry. I already called for a taxi.” Finishing up, he slipped his phone into his pocket just as Akira was walking back around the counter, with a takeout bag in his hands.

“Here,” Akira said, holding out the bag. “I packed up the leftover curry for you. There’s enough for at least two more meals, so that should hold you over for a while.”

“Oh, you don’t have to…” Akechi accepted the offered bag, uncomfortable with the amount of generosity being extended to him.

“I said it before already, I _want_ to Akechi,” Akira reassured, smiling softly.

A faint ‘ _ding_ ’ was heard from Akechi’s pocket, letting the teens know that the ride was here. “Well, I guess that’s my cue. I’ll see you around, Kurusu?” Akechi asked as he pushed open the front door.

“Definitely. Text me anytime you want curry, I’ll whip up a batch for you and bring it when we next hang out.”

Akechi smiled gratefully. “I’d like that.” Akira watched as Akechi left, wishing that the evening had been just a bit longer as the door closed with a soft, inviting jingle.

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact! You actually can put someone in ‘check’ in just two moves! One of the few things I retained from chess club haha. Anyways this is a really belated bday fic to WaiiKitsune. <3 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Come find me at [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Chibichibichu) or check my profile for other places to find me :)


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